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‘Fresh leadership’ needed in office

By Anna Sacco-Miller Dixon

Oct. 9, 2012

Why should voters elect me as the Lee County state’s attorney? The reasons are simple.

In the past 4 years, there have been five homicides committed and three vehicular accidents that resulted in death within our county. The number and severity of violent crimes have increased dramatically.

Clearly, something must be done to ensure the safety of all of our citizens in this county and address this spike in violent crime.

My opponent promised to be tough on crime, but his record demonstrates that this promise has not been fulfilled.

In 2007, there were a total of 399 felony cases filed in our county; in the 4 years Mr. Dixon has been in office, there has been a substantial reduction, with only 254 felony cases filed.

While he promised to take an active role in the courtroom, my research of the records of the circuit clerk reveals that Mr. Dixon has personally tried only one felony case in the 4 years he has been in office. His entire office has tried only a total of 15 cases in 3 years. The remainder were pled, reduced prior to trial, or dismissed.

Yet, my opponent recently asked for even more funds from the Lee County treasury to fund additional positions. Simply asking for more money is not the answer.

Enough is enough. I promise to bring fresh, energetic and efficient leadership to the office of state’s attorney. We face challenges ahead with budget cuts to the criminal justice system at the state level, which will certainly affect local resources. We must be prepared for all contingencies, including facilities that we rely on being closed.

I will be proactive and seek to address crime at its roots. While I will be tough on crime, I also believe we must focus effort on crime prevention and education. Educating our youth, implementing a juvenile drug court, enhancing alternative courts such as drug court, mental health court, and the second chance program for first-time minor offenders, hold the possibility of reducing repeat offenders and saving the taxpayers the cost of multiple prosecutions.

We must also pursue missed opportunities for funding that is available through grant writing. I will actively pursue those needed programs.

I am proud of my past service as a prosecutor. I began my career in the Lee County State’s Attorney’s Office and during my time in the office, I prosecuted a wide range of cases, from felony prosecution to juvenile and misdemeanor files. I have also gained experience defending significant felony cases for the past 8 years as an appointed attorney for the county.

If elected to the position of Lee County state’s attorney, I believe my strong background in criminal law, my experience in business management, and my desire to succeed will bring much-needed organization and fresh leadership to the office.

If you would like more information on my qualifications as a candidate, please visit my website at www.electanna.com. Thank you for your vote on Nov. 6.